Email 62: March Madness + Folliculitis + "let"

Received March 24, 2014

It has been gorgeous here in Federal Way!! The sun has been shining! The Spring and Summer here are the greatest and I am so pumped for the next 6 months!! And I totally had forgotten there was such a thing as "March Madness" Miracles do happen. I hadn't even realized it until some kid that I challenged in PIG (he beat me, but granted he plays on an AAU team in Renton and wants to play at Duke, and he only beat me by one letter) started talking about how Duke lost. I knew then that my mind has been in the right place because for this guy to forget March Madness... Wow. But oh well. Let me know what happens when its over. Haha

The Boltons going to Provo!!! Heck yes! That is going to be the greatest EVER!

Craziest thing this week. I got an infection called folliculitis... It is just an infection of the hair follicules. Anyways, I got this rash like thing on my neck and onto my cheeks and it was super itchy. I eventually got into a doctor and got it all worked out but I havent been able to shave for almost a week and I cant until tomorrow at the earliest... So I have a beard right now! Haha mom would be so mad.. Pres. Eaton was at our building yesterday and he was loving it. "Just run with it and enjoy it while you can" were his words. And I have been. We were on the bus and no one would talk to me so I just stood up and asked anyone that was within hearing distance what they would do if they were me and they had this rash on their neck HAHAHA. One guy started talking about going to a dermatologist because "that could be anything' and this lady from Africa in  an accent started talking about something "on TV that you can buy for 19.95 with shipping and handling" HAHAH it was too funny. I was on exchange and the guy that Elder Maekawa was talking to just said "it looks like your friend has a problem." Gotta love it. Talk with everyone!

We are really in this weird patient game right now. Elder Cannon and I are working hard and trying to work a lot smarter but we have not been able to get much going the past few weeks.. But we are super cool with it. We know that God is about to do something sweet here and we are just going to keep going hard.

President Eaton came out with Elder Cannon and I on Tuesday for half of the day. It was real great! We sat down with him and Bishop Ross and just talked Work of Salvation for an hour. It was incredible. We also taught a less-active Marshallese family and had a couple member lessons which were powerful!

We did have three less-active members come to church this week for the first time in a long time! That is always super cool. The ward member in Redondo and in the Federal Way Stake are starting to rise up to the call to be missionaries. It is just the start, but we have made a good one and we are changing completely the way things are done here!

So Isaac went back to Ghana this week and it turns out that his brother didn't show up to pick him up from the airport and know one knows where he is now... He told Bro. Edmiston though that before he went home he was going to go the MTC in Tema. So we are hoping that that is where he made his way to!

Transfers next week! We think that we are both staying for one more transfer and then there might be some changes made the next one. But we shall see!

Philipians 2

 3 Let nothing be done through ^astrife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each ^besteem other better than themselves.
 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
D&C 121
 45 Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughtsunceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distilupon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.
 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant ^acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of ^brighteousness and truth;and thy ^cdominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

The way the word "let" is used in these scriptures taught me this week. There are always different thoughts that are battling to control our mind. We have the power to "let" certain ones in and keep certain ones out. The battle is between good and evil. Between natural and Christlike. There will always be impure and selfish thoughts fighting to enter the stage of our mind. Also, there will always be pure, wholesome, and charitable thoughts available to control our minds. It is all about what we let. Preach My Gospel also teaches that as we control the stage of our mind (as we let the right things in) we can BECOME pure and virtuous. It all starts in our mind and our heart will follow! As we let thoughts of love occupy our mind and as we do not let negative, prideful, judgmental, or selfish thoughts inside, we can BECOME more like the Savior. Let us all win the battle in our minds and our hearts will be settled!

Love you all so much! Praying for you always! Have a week! Make it great!

Elder Cook